Cue your GPS of choice to the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, MN, Sunday, November 2. Festival opens at 10 a.m. Closes at 5 p.m. with plenty of tasty highlights for all ages every minute in between. Tickets just $5 online or at the door, children $2. Adults can add a $25 wristband to sample local spirits (valid ID required). Bring family and friends and quench your hunger and curiosity about foods grown or made right here in our area. Come taste, celebrate!

Want more info? Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and use #LocalFeast to keep in touch!

FEAST! FESTIVAL FORECAST – THE BIG DAY’S EVENTS, NOW HOURS AWAY:

• LOOK WHO’S SERVING UP JAMS AND JELLIES

Heath Glen Organic Farm is a small family business producing artisanal preserves using fresh-picked pesticide-free and herbicide-free produce. The farm features five acres of berries, herbs and vegetables surrounded by orchards, woodland and wetland. Fruits of Heath Glen are harvested at their peak, then paired with liqueurs and wines to achieve dazzling flavor sensations. Heath Glen small-batch preserves, syrups and shrubs are sell-outs at the St. Paul and Mill City Farmer's Markets.

• FEAST! BAND MASTER'S PICK OF LIVE MUSIC

Expect great music on tap all day at Feast!

Four live groups play throughout the event. Who can say which is the most outstanding? ‘They all are!’ insists our anonymous band maestro planner. Kick-off with Ditch Lilies, of course. You’ll love I Like You playing 11:30 – 1:00. Patty & the Buttons preach a gospel of hot rhythm and happy feet from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. And Maritza takes local food lovers on home with their repertoire of evocatively beautiful melodies forged in the passions of European and Russian history – lively wedding horas and frailachs, Gypsy (Romany) music, and twisting rhythmic line dance tunes from Bulgaria, Romania. An all-day Feast! for local ears.

• FREE GIVEAWAY AT FEAST! CENTRAL

Don’t miss the Feast! organizers exhibit. Make way to booths 48 & 68 where you’ll learn the amazing tale behind Feast! Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) of Owatonna – a 28-year-old non-profit whose mission is to revitalize the rural economy – and Renewing the Countryside (RTC), a 12-year-old non-profit that advocates for a just, sustainable and vibrant countryside. The two organizations realized the great potential for bolstering both economic and food access needs by joining forces with several other organizations and agencies, collaboratively launching: Feast!

Join the Feast! mailing list to keep ahead of local food happenings – you’ll be entered in a drawing for yet another opportunity to win your own Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook.

JUST A HANDFULOF DAYS ‘TIL YOU CAN SATISFY YOUR HUNGER FOR LOCAL FOOD & LIBATIONS! Sunday, Nov. 2 FEAST! Festival will thrill thousands who’ll gather to celebrate the growing showcase of local foods.

Catch the first-ever regional food event of its kind. A tasty showcase of entries from more than a hundred Minnesota-Wisconsin-Iowa food innovators right here in Rochester, MN. The price to partake? Tickets are just $5, online or at the door. A wristband to sample adult libations is additional. Get advance tickets to this Mayo Civic Center event online now. Spread the word! Bring a crowd. Help us stir up a super food celebration!

Want more info? Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and use #LocalFeast to keep in touch!

FEAST! FESTIVAL FORECAST – 1 WEEK TO THE BIG DAY:

• LOOK WHO’S SHOWING OFF THE MAGIC OF MUSHROOMS AT FEAST!

Christy Paulson and Matt Ratiff of Fruits, Nuts & Vegetables in Fort Ripley, MN aimed to become the Willy Wonka of vegetables, but happened into major mushroom production along the way.They grow organic heirloom vegetables and several varieties of mushrooms: blue, white and Phoenix oyster mushrooms, shiitake, Lion’s Mane, Chicken of the woods, Maitake and Reishi. They also offer mushroom cultivation kits and boast experience in aquaponics, hydroponics, composting, vermiculture, viticulture and more. Come learn the culinary and medicinal stories of their mushroom varieties. Photo: William Camargo, St. Cloud Times.

• HARBOR VIEW CAFÉ TAKES TO PERFORMANCE COOKING STAGE

At 1:30 PM, Chef Ben Moline will recreate some delicious, seasonally appropriate dishes off of Harbor View Café’s elegant and eclectic menu. He's been developing delicious, made-from-scratch items on the shores of Lake Pepin for the past eight years.

• FINAL FREE TICKET GIVEAWAY

Thanks for posting your beautiful farm & food photos on our Facebook page this week! Final winner will be announced Wednesday, Oct 29 - SHARE YOUR PHOTO of a favorite local food, food grower, maker or chef. Two tickets to FEAST! plus a copy of the Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook could be yours.

JUST TWO CAN’T-WAIT WEEKS ‘TIL FEAST! TICKLES YOUR TASTE BUDS with some of the most original and delectable foods and beverages in the region.

Starting at 10 a.m. Sunday November 2, the Feast! Festival will be serving up a showcase of foods from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, MN – the first and most complete collection of edibles grown or prepared by more than a hundred food innovators in this region. Check out the latest trends. Load up on fresh and distinctive local items. Get tickets now for only $5.

Can't get enough? like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and use #LocalFeast to keep in touch!

Judge for yourself how well local spirits from Vikre Distillery, new Hundred Yard Dash brew from Brau Brothers Brewery and specialty wines from __ regional vintners stack up against mass-made national brands. Come, sample and savor! A special feature of FEAST is the chance for over-21s to purchase a beverage bracelet and sample local libations from 10 to 5 p.m. Check out the whole list of Feast! exhibitors.

• CHATTER TO CHEW ON – IT’S ALL ABOUT LOCAL FOOD

Tune in to Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl’s interview of the local foods force behind FEAST, Jan Joanaides, from 11am-noon on Saturday, Oct 25 and Brett Olson on Decorah's KDEC Morning Show with Tim & Jen at 7am on Monday, Oct 27. Catch FEAST announcements in dozens of local paper and newsletters from farm and food organizations. And check out OPI's great Q & A about the Festival and Tradeshow to get all of your questions answered!

Thanks for posting the winning food photo on our Facebook page this week! NEXT WINNER ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY, OCT 22 - SHARE YOUR PHOTO of a favorite local food, food grower, maker or chef. Two tickets to FEAST! plus a copy of the Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook could be yours.

HUNGRY FOR LOCAL FOOD? Just three weeks and one day until FEAST! serves up a delicious Festival of foods from the Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa region. It’s your chance to sample and learn about edibles grown and prepared by more than a hundred innovative food producers. Your chance to catch up with the latest food trends and to stock up on distinctively local items for the pantry or for holiday gifts.

We hope you’ll join with thousands attending FEAST! Festival on Sunday, November 2 at the Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota. Advance tickets on sale now. Please help spread the word! Visit our website. Preview local food exhibitors you’ll see at FEAST! Check out the highlights, below. And help stir up a buzz!

We invite you to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and use #LocalFeast to keep in touch!

FEAST! FESTIVAL FORECAST – 3 WEEKS OUT:

• WIN FREE TICKETS TO FEAST!

Post a picture of your favorite food, farm, or farmer on our FEAST! Facebook page throughout October. Your photo should include a brief description and focus on our MN, WI, IA region. Last week's winner, Linda Harding, posted this photo of her "bounty from my CSA at A to Z Produce." Each Wednesday we’ll pick a winner and award two tickets to FEAST! Festival, plus a copy of the Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook.

• LOOK WHO’S COMING TO FEAST!

Executive Chef Erik Kleven at Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery in Spring Valley is known for interpreting the latest in culinary trends via in-season ingredients from around the area. Kleven creates unique, memorable dishes – fresh, surprising spins on Midwest comfort foods. His Four Daughters menu famously include artisan cheese samplers, unique pizzas and hearty breads. Catch him on the chef stage at 12:30 p.m. on November 2nd.

• GOOD EATING STARTS YOUNG - BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY!

Because kids love good food too, we’ve planned a special kid-friendly food station jam-packed with fun food activities like active Veggie Grand Prix. Also Feast! lunchroom adventures starring a tasty line-up of whole, local foods from Dover-Eyota Public Schools at the cooking demo stage at 2:30 pm.

Just one month out from a delicious day of local food tasting, a 100+-exhibitor-strong food trending showcase and your chance to score unique local delectables for your pantry or holiday gift list. Meet the farmers, food entrepreneurs and food artisans converging this November 2 at the Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota!

We are super excited about this premiere event and want to make sure everyone hears all about it. Hoping we can count on you to help spread the word. Please read on, learn what’s in store and help stir up a big helping of buzz. We invite you to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and use #LocalFeast to keep in touch!

FEAST! FESTIVAL FORECAST – 30 DAYS OUT:

• WIN FREE TICKETS TO FEAST!

Post a picture of your favorite food, farm, or farmer on our FEAST! Facebook page throughout October. Your photo should include a brief description for context. Each Wednesday we’ll pick a winner and award two tickets to FEAST! Festival, plus a copy of the Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook.

• LOOK WHO’S COMING TO FEAST!

Breakfast gets a wild overhaul and you get a preview sample thanks to Prescott Bergh and his family who started Simply Native Foods earlier this year. Be among the first to taste this awesome wild rice breakfast treat – yes! before it’s even available in stores! Launching this hot breakfast cereal of all-indigenous ingredients was fated to happen: Prescott was raised in a family committed to foraging wild foods and has spent most of his life managing his organic farm and working in the organic food industry. Simply Native Grains is no instant oatmeal. A satisfying breakfast blend crafted exclusively of indigenous ingredients for active, health conscious eaters. Preston’s new sustainable morning sustenance is based on a nutrient and texture-rich, low-glycemic supergrain: wild rice. This wholesome breakfast from Simply Native Foods won’t be on store shelves until the end of 2014, but for those attending the FEAST! Festival and Tradeshow in Rochester, MN on Sunday, November 2nd, a tasty sample is a bit closer on your horizon. Read more about trend-setting vendors who'll be attending…

• MUSIC TO MUNCH BY…

What’s a festival without some festive tunes? FEAST! is thrilled to host 4 live bands, including the DitchLilies, Wisconsin's American and International Roots duo playing from 10am - 11:30 on November 2. The DitchLilies have been in musical cahoots since 1998. Kari Larson and Lisa Schultz are stringed multi-instrumentalists/vocalists with a soft spot and keen enthusiasm for early swing, old-time mountain music, world roots and juke joint songs from the golden era. Together, they turn back in time to dust off the rare and forgotten tunes or to hone the familiar tried and true melodies. Read more about who'll be entertaining…

NEXT TIME, watch for more delicious details about the upcoming FEAST! including: